A Pentagon official told Al Jazeera that the execution of retired Army Major Nidal Hassan will be “livestreamed.”
Published October 8, 2026
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution of a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood military base in Texas will be available for public viewing.
In an interview with media outlet Real America’s Voice on Thursday, Hegseth was asked about President Donald Trump’s recent order to use a firing squad to execute 2009 mass shooter convicted Nidal Hassan.
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He said he approved of the decision as “natural.”
“We’re going to make sure people can watch it and we’re going to put it out there,” Hegseth told interviewer Jack Posobiec. “Because people need to understand that something like this has serious consequences.”
Hegseth added that the execution will take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3 at 1:00 pm CT (7:00 pm GMT), the same day the 2009 shooting occurred.
Hasan was sentenced to death in August 2013 after a military jury found him guilty of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder in the shooting incident.
The former Army major entered a military processing center at a Texas base, shouted “Allah Akbar” (God is great) and opened fire on his fellow soldiers as they waited for treatment.
Mr. Hasan’s execution required approval from Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Trump, who authorized the use of a firing squad on Monday.
A Pentagon official told Al Jazeera that Hassan’s execution would be “livestreamed”, adding that details would be announced soon.
It is unclear from Hegseth’s statements whether troops, spectators or U.S. military personnel will be present at the execution. U.S. military regulations state that at least two news organizations must be selected as witnesses.
No state or federal execution has ever been televised in the United States. The last public execution in the country took place over 90 years ago, on August 14, 1936, in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The last time the U.S. military executed a deserter by firing squad was in 1945 on a deserter during World War II.
When asked for comment on Hegseth’s remarks and whether President Trump would consider executing him, the White House referred Al Jazeera to the Pentagon.
In April, the Trump administration announced that shooting would be added to the list of federally recognized methods of execution, along with gas asphyxiation and electrocution.
